Spring located outlook lens



J. H. DIEDRING SPRING LOCATED OUTLOOK LENS oaQzo, 1959 Filed April 26.1957 HTTOR/VEY United States Patent O f 2,909,653 SPRING LOCATED oUTLooKLENS John H. Diedring, Anderson, Ind., assigner to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich.,l a corporation of Delaware ApplicationApril 26, 1957, Serial No. 655,363

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-8.3)

This invention relates to a spring located outlook lens and, moreparticularly to a wire spring lens retainer fr retaining a lens within alens opening in a vehicle lamp.

It has always been difficult to mount a lens in a lamp in such a manneras to ensure a continued tight seal between the lens and the lampcasing. It is the practice to position a sealing gasket between the lenssurface andthe casing flange on which it is positioned in order tominimize this problem. However, it has been found by experience thatsuch gaskets develop a permanent set over a period of time, thus tendingto reduce the sealing pressure between the lens, gasket and body. Thisreduction in sealing pressure makes the seal between the parts lesseffective. This difficulty exists where the lens is made of either glassor plastic and where, as is the common practice in the art, the lens isretained within the lens aperture by means of a nut and bolt orequivalent assembly.

Thisvproblem of establishing and maintaining an adequate seal isespecially acute where a plastic lens is used in an outlook apertureprovided in the side wall of the lamp casing. problem `of permanent setin the sealing gasket, but the use of either threaded attaching means orclamping elements at the ends of the lens tends -to spring the centerportion of the latter out of the aperture thereby breaking the seal.Obviously, an assembly of this type is undesirable because of theextreme weathering conditions to which lamps of the type described aresubjected in normal use.

A solution to this problem is disclosed in thecopending application ofDavid P., Clayton and Lyle N. Williams, Serial No. 389,405, led October30, 1953, now Patent No. 2,866,082. As disclosed in this copendingapplication, a generally U-shaped spring may be employed for engagementwith the ends of the outlook lens to provide a bearing force thereonacting substantially tangentially to the lens face to urge the centerportion of the lens into tighter position within the lens aperture. Theresilient wire spring is locked vertically n position in the casing andhas a length such that it is stressed on being assem bled in the casing,a continuous resilient force thus being applied to the lens tocompensate for any permanent set taken by the sealing gasket. The wirespring retainer of the present invention offers a different form ofsolution to the problem aforedescribed, and results in a resilientretainer of smaller dimensions than that of the copending applicationthereby avoiding interference with other parts of the lamp assembly and,in particular, the reflector of such a lamp.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a simpleand inexpensive wire spring lens retainer which may be utilized in acompact lamp assembly without interfering with other parts assembled inthe latter.

More specifically, it is intended within the scope of this invention toprovide an improved wire spring lens retainer in combinationA with anoutlook lens for establishing and maintaining an effective seal betweenthe latter and the lamp casing. The resilient spring retainer of thisinveii- In such instances, not only is there the 2,909,653 Patented Oct.20, 1,959

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tion is adapted to be mounted substantially axially of the lamp casingto either side of a reflector which may be positioned therein, therebyprecluding interference between the retainer and reflector.

Further advantages of the present invention will become more apparent asthe description proceeds, and in which reference is made to thefollowing drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, with parts broken away, `of a lampembodying the lens and retainer of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section ltaken along line 2-2 of the lamp shownin Figure l;

Figure 2a is an enlarged fragmentary view of a p0rtion of Figure 2;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the wire spring retainerof this invention mounted at the end of an outlook lens;

Figure 3a is an enlarged fragmentary view of the outlook lens of Figure2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a lamp having a casing 2with a suitable aperture in the rear wall thereof to receive a socketassembly 4 in which the usual bulb may be mounted. The forward end ofthe casing 2 is open and terminates in a radially inwardly directedflange 6. A plurality of fastening brackets 8 are circumferentiallyspaced about the inner side wall of the casing 2 adjacent the flange 6thereof. The plastic or glass lens 10 having a rearwardly directedannular shoulder .12 closes the open front of the casing 2, there beingan annular gasket 14 positioned between the inner face of the lens 10and the flange 6 formed on the casing 2. The lens 10 is held in positionon the casing by a plurality of bolts or speed nuts 16 which extendthrough the fastening brackets 8 in the usual manner.

It willV be noted that at least two of the brackets 8 are axiallyaligned with the ends of an aperture 1S in the lower side wall of thelamp casing 2 beneath the socket assembly 4. Each of these bracketsincludes a radially inwardly directed fastener leg 20, engaged by thenuts 16, and two identical' spaced radially inwardly directed legs 22for a purpose which will appear more fully hereinafter. Y

The reflector 24 is positioned about the socket assembly 4 and has alower portion located behind the aperture 18 and an upwardly andforwardly curved portion mounted within the casing 4. The lower portionof the reflector is clamped about a flange 26 which defines the aperture18 within the casing 2. A gasket 23 surrounds th-e aperture 18 and isseated on the flange 30 of casing 2 and the shoulder 31 formed on thereflector. The outlook lens 32 is seated on the gasket 28 beneath thesocket assembly. The upper portion 34 of the reflector is stamped outand projects forwardly and upwardly and is seated between the flange 6of the casing 2 and the gasket 14, this portion of the reflector beingsuitably apertured to permit the speed nuts 16 to pass therethrough forengagement with the portion 20 of the bracket 8. It will thus be seenthatthe substantially dish-shaped reflector 24 extends throughout thevertical height of the casing 2. At least throughout is lower portion,the peripheral edges 25 (Figure 3) of the reflector 24 are radiallyspaced from the inner side wall of the casing 2.

Two resilient wire spring retainers 36 are provided, one each forengagement with the respective ends of the outlook lens 32. Each ofthese springs 36 has one e'nd 38 riveted `or otherwise secured to theinner side wall of the casing 2, while the other end 40 is adapted to behooked or locked in one or the other leg 22 of -the brackets S. Anintermediate portion 42 of each spring is bent inwardly and downwardlyto engage the respective ends of the lens 32.

After the outlook lens is placed within the casing aperture and beforethe lens is placed on the open front thereof, the respective springs 36are stretched for engagement of their ends 40 with the legs 22 ofbrackets 8, thel intermediate rportion 42 of each spring firmly engagingthe end surfaces of the outlook lens 32. The length of -each retainerspring 36 is such that it is stressed on being so assembled, therebycontinuously providing a resilient force on the lens to compensate forany permanent set taken by the gasket 28. The bearing force applied tothe ends of the lens 32 is not applied in a plane substantially at rigntangles to the inner surface of the lens as is the present practice, butis instead applied at an angle more nearly' tangential to the lens faceto urge the center portion of the lens into tighter position within thelens aperture. Thus the springs 36 are stretched axially of the lampcasing to either side of the peripheral edge 25 of the rellector 24.Moreover, the brackets S may all be identical and mass produced inasmuchas each contains the legs 22 which may selectively cooperate with theportion 4t) of each spring 36 in locking the outlook lens 32 within theaperture 18.

While this inventionhas been described with reference to a plasticoutlook lens, it should be understood that it is not necessarily limitedto such application. This invention is equally as applicable to a glasslens and may be applied to a lens other than an outlook lens. Thus theform of the invention herein disclosed is but a preferred form, andother forms might be adopted which come within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is:

l. A lamp comprising a casing having a side wall, a plurality ofbrackets circumferentially spaced about said side wall interiorly ofsaid casing, an aperture in the side wall of said casing, a resilientgasket surrounding said aperture, an outlook lens seated on said gasketwithin said aperture, and a resilient wire retainer engaging each end ofsaid outlook lens, each of said retainers eX- tending axially of saidcasing interiorly of the latter along said side wall, each of saidretainers having one end grounded to said side wall and the other enddetachably connected to one of said brackets, an intermediate portion ofeach retainer engaging a respective outlook lens end surface to apply aforce thereto substantially tangential to the surface of said lens.

2. A lamp comprising a casing having a curved side wall and an openingtherein, a plurality of fastener brackets circumferentially spaced aboutsaid side wall in v4 teriorly of said casing adjacent the openingtherein, a source of illumination in said casing opposite said opening,a lens forming a closure for said casing opening, fastener meansengaging said lens and said brackets to hold said lens in said casingopening, an aperture in the side wall of said casing, a resilient gasketsurrounding said aperture, an outlook lens seated on said gasket withinsaid aperture, and a resilient wire retainer engaging each end of saidoutlook lens, each of said retainers extending axially of said casinginteriorly of the latter along said side wall, each of said retainershaving one end grounded to said side wall and the other end detachablyconnected to one of said brackets, an intermediate portion of eachretainer engaging a respective outlook lens end surface to apply a forcethereto substantially tangential to the surface .of said lens.

3. A lamp comprising a casing having a curved side Iwall terminating inan opening, a plurality of fastener brackets circumferentially spacedabout said side wall interiorly of said casing adjacent said opening, asource of illumination in said casing opposite said opening, acup-shaped reflector surrounding said source of illumination and curvedforwardly at its top to terminate adjacent said casing opening, a lensforming a closure for said casing opening, fasteners engaging said lensand said brackets to hold said lens in said casing opening, an aperturein the side wall of said casing between the lower portion of saidreflector and said lens closure, a resilient gasket seated in saidaperture, an outlook lens `seated on said gasket within said aperture,and a resilient Wire retainer engaging each end of said outlook lens,each of said retainers extending axially of said casing interiorly ofthe latter along said side wall between the latter and the peripheraledge of said reector, each of said retainers having one end grounded tosaid side wall and the other end detachably connected to one of saidbrackets, an intermediate portion of each retainer engaging a respectiveoutlook lens end surface to apply a force thereto substantiallytangential to the surface of said lens.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

